Chapter 30: Unexpected Letter
"Ivan, you did an amazing job tonight!" After everyone left, Harry, who had been pushed to the edge of the crowd, stepped forward and gave Ivan a big hug.
"Maybe." Ivan shrugged and explained, "Actually, you shouldn't have exaggerated so much. I put in a lot of effort to deal with that troll."
It wasn't that Ivan was being modest; the news had already become somewhat distorted. In one version Ivan had heard, the twelve-foot-tall troll had grown to twenty feet!
This kind of flattery could be dangerous.
"Hey, come on, you're the Gryffindor Hero, we only saw you save Hermione and then kill the troll. Wow, it was so fast", Ron pounded Ivan's chest, laughing.
"Besides, we only mentioned what happened in passing. Who knew it would get blown out of proportion?" Harry indicated they weren't to blame.
"By the way, where's Hermione?" Ivan asked.
"No idea, I saw her just a moment ago", Harry was also puzzled.
"You saved her, and she didn't even say thank you", Ron said, indignant.
"She must have had to leave suddenly", Ivan shook his head. Hermione wasn't that kind of person.
Since Hermione had bravely taken all the punishment, Harry and Ron's opinions of her had changed, so they accepted Ivan's explanation.
Next, Harry and Ron mysteriously led Ivan to see a package. Inside was a brand new Nimbus 2000. Professor Mcgonagall had sent it to Harry this morning, and Ivan had missed it because he was in the library.
Though he wasn't particularly interested, Ivan saw the excitement on their faces and grudgingly praised it a few times before quickly sending them off to bed.
With some free time, Ivan finally had the chance to examine the rewards he had received for killing the troll.
**[Blood-Bonding Reagent (Potion Formula)
Required Materials: Dried nettle, wolfsbane, valerian, mistletoe berries, black hellebore petals, mouse plum, bat horn, mountain flower powder
Special Material: 150 ml of active magical creature blood (Note: Blood loses activity if left outside the body for more than three days)
Prerequisite: Potions Level 6 (Note: Experience Card state requires Potions Level 4)]**
Looking at the long list of required materials, Ivan felt a bit dizzy. That was a lot!
Many of these were high-level potion ingredients, incredibly expensive. Even if he risked getting caught by going to Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley, the Galleons he had wouldn't be enough.
The prerequisite of Potions Level 6 also made Ivan frown. While his Potions skill had already reached Level 3, the higher the level, the harder it was to advance. Each level beyond Level 3 was more difficult than getting from Level 0 to Level 3!
Thankfully, the small note at the end made Ivan breathe a sigh of relief. At Potions Level 4, he had a chance, especially with the boost from the Experience Card mode.
For Ivan, the easiest part to obtain would be the magical creature's blood. Despite the limitation that it would lose activity after three days outside the body, Ivan knew that Hagrid would soon hatch a Baby Dragon.
He couldn't fight an adult dragon, but a newborn would be easy to handle. Drawing some blood would be simple as long as he prepared everything else before the dragon was taken away.
Knock, knock, knock, knock
As Ivan was lost in thought, he heard a faint noise from the window. Turning his head, he saw a black-gray owl tapping at the glass with its beak, a string tied to its leg.
Gula?
The word popped into Ivan's mind. He guessed this might be the owl's name.
He opened the window, and the black-gray owl quickly flew in, landing on Ivan's shoulder and shaking itself. Since everyone in the Dormitory had gone to celebrate with Ivan, this poor little thing had been forced to endure the cold night wind.
Ivan was no longer concerned about the owl's safety; all his attention was on the envelope tied to its leg.
The envelope clearly read "Ivan Hals."
Ivan untied the string, took the envelope, but hesitated to open it. His expression changed several times before he sighed.
He had long known this day would come, but he never expected it to arrive so soon.
Ivan hesitated for a moment before tearing open the envelope. To his slight relief, the content of the letter was quite ordinary. It only inquired about his recent situation at Hogwarts, which house he had been sorted into, and so on. The letter was signed by Aisha Hals, his mother.
Included were three Galleons, and a small note that read he could send another letter if he ever needed more money.
The more concerned the letter’s content was, the more guilty and worried Ivan felt.
The worry stemmed from Dumbledore's ambiguous evaluation of his mother, as well as the prominently displayed Cruciatus Curse in the System panel.
Thinking of the Cruciatus Curse, Ivan felt a bit speechless. Generally, which normal mother would teach such a dangerous dark magic spell before their child even started school?
Moreover, the teaching process could not have been a happy and peaceful one; otherwise, he wouldn't have felt fear in his memories. Clearly, this mother had made her child experience what fear truly was to expedite the learning process.
These unknowns made Ivan feel a wave of unease, which made him urgently need to have at least enough strength to protect himself before returning home.
The fastest way to enhance his strength was to create the Blood-Bonding Potion he had just obtained. So, even though the three Galleons in the letter felt a bit hot in his hand, he eventually put them away.
There was no other choice; he was that short on money.
"Co-co~" The black owl, Gula, had been waiting for a long time and, seeing Ivan dawdling, finally tapped his head with its beak to remind him.
Ivan snapped out of his thoughts and realized that the most urgent thing now was to write a reply. He placed a food box for his owl, Maca, in front of Gula to make it more patient, ignoring Maca's protests, and picked up a quill with hesitation.
After a long pause, Ivan wrote down some interesting events that had recently happened at school on a blank piece of parchment.
Originally, Ivan intended to mention the Troll incident, but before sending the letter, he deleted all related content.
If he had defeated a Troll not long after starting school, Ivan guessed his mother's first reaction would be to rush to the school and question Dumbledore, rather than feel proud of him.
It was better to keep a low profile and avoid stirring up trouble.
After much editing and deleting, Ivan finally sealed the letter and sent Gula back the way it came.
By the time he finished, it was already dawn. Ivan pulled the covers over himself and lay down on the bed.
In a daze, Ivan suddenly thought about something: Was the surprise Dumbledore mentioned the welcome feast or this letter?
The next morning, Ivan, who had slept for less than two hours, got up for class quite unwillingly. Harry and Ron, who had similar experiences, were also yawning.
However, when the three of them saw each other's dark circles, they couldn't help but laugh, which lifted their spirits a bit.
After a night of fermentation, the news of Ivan defeating the Troll seemed to have spread throughout the school. As a result, wherever Ivan went, he could hear whispers.
Ivan quickened his pace, and the situation improved a bit once he reached the Transfiguration classroom.
Hermione had arrived even earlier and was quietly sitting on a seat on the right side, flipping through pages of a book. The seats around her were also occupied.
A few young Gryffindor witches were chattering about something, occasionally asking Hermione, who looked quite annoyed. When she saw Ivan, a delighted expression appeared on her face, and she put down her book to come over.
"Alright, children, class is starting now. Everyone back to your seats!" Professor Mcgonagall walked in at that moment, frowning at the chaotic classroom.
Ivan, Harry, and Ron quickly found three empty seats, and Hermione had to sit back down reluctantly.
Professor Mcgonagall glanced at Ivan knowingly, then cleared her throat and addressed the young Wizards who had settled down.
"I believe I mentioned at the beginning of the term that Transfiguration will be one of the most complex and dangerous forms of magic you will learn at Hogwarts. If you study diligently, Transfiguration will be sufficient to solve most of the problems you encounter."
"You should all have heard that just yesterday, Mr. Hals, with his exquisite Transfiguration Spell and outstanding mind, successfully killed a Troll in the corridors of Hogwarts!"
"For this, Professor Dumbledore awarded Gryffindor House a full twenty points!" Professor Mcgonagall added at the end.
As soon as Professor Mcgonagall finished speaking, the crowd below erupted into a flurry of discussion. Ivan immediately became the center of attention.
Although many young Wizards had heard this news before, it had only been through Harry and Ron's mouths, and it wasn't entirely reliable. Now, it was confirmed without a doubt!
Suddenly being praised by Professor Mcgonagall, Ivan felt no joy at all. Based on his experience, such praise usually comes with a "but", which is typical of teachers.
Sure enough, Ivan then heard Professor Mcgonagall continue.
"But I must warn you solemnly, a Troll is an extremely powerful and dangerous creature, absolutely not something a young, ungraduated Wizard can defeat! Hals is a unique case; even our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Quirrell, was so frightened that he fainted during the Halloween Feast!"
At this point, Professor Mcgonagall's gaze became sharp as she continued.
"If I find out that anyone else attempts such dangerous actions, I will definitely recommend to Professor Dumbledore that they be expelled."
"Even Hals did not find defeating the Troll as easy as you might imagine." After saying this, Professor Mcgonagall scanned the room, noting that the young Wizards had fallen silent, then looked at Ivan and gave him a meaningful glance, signaling him to speak.
Ivan immediately stood up, his expression serious and his tone deep.
"Yes, Professor, I swear, the Troll is the most difficult opponent I have faced in my eleven years, hands down!"
As soon as Ivan finished speaking, a wave of laughter rippled through the crowd. Many of the clever young Wizards had picked up on the underlying meaning in Ivan's words.
As a first-year, only eleven years old, the Troll was likely the first opponent Ivan had faced, and thus, of course, the most difficult.
Professor Mcgonagall was dissatisfied with Ivan's perfunctory attitude. She had hoped he would elaborate on the fear and terror he experienced while facing the Troll, as well as the thrilling process, to serve as a warning to the eager young students.
Ivan shrugged noncommittally, inwardly admiring Professor Mcgonagall's astute approach.
First, she used his victory over the Troll to inspire the young Wizards to study Transfiguration Spells more enthusiastically. Then, through an official statement, she set a tone for the event, putting an end to the increasingly exaggerated rumors.
After all, it's better to address the issue openly rather than suppress it, which would only lead to speculation. By using it as a cautionary tale, she could prevent some young Wizards from thinking, "He can do it, so can I", and heading down a dangerous path.
Lastly, she aimed to temper his newfound fame, ensuring that he didn't become overly proud and complacent after defeating the Troll.
The only unfortunate one was Professor Quirrell, who was used as a backdrop to highlight the Troll's strength and would likely become a laughingstock at Hogwarts after today.
Ivan, whose mental age far exceeded eleven, quickly deduced Professor Mcgonagall's intentions.
If possible, Ivan wouldn't mind cooperating with Professor Mcgonagall. After all, keeping a low profile is the best strategy. Unfortunately, his battle with the Troll had some questionable aspects, and the more he spoke, the more likely he was to make mistakes.
Otherwise, Professor Mcgonagall would have asked him about his intentions in transfiguring a bunch of sharp iron thorns.
As a result, Professor Mcgonagall's carefully prepared opening remarks only achieved half of their intended effect due to Ivan's uncooperative attitude.
This led to a serious reminder from Professor Mcgonagall before the class began. She warned Ivan that if he continued to answer questions without her permission, she might consider using a Silencing Charm, to give him a chance to be quiet and allow other young Wizards to participate.
Ivan glanced at his academic points, which were still in the double digits, and the 799 Proficiency points he needed to level up in Potions. He could only struggle to indicate that he might consider the professor's valuable advice, aiming to compete fairly and raise his hand to speak.
(End of Chapter)
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